The ticketing situation for the 2023 AFL Grand Final has left some fans quite perturbed.
The balloting system has left thousands of Collingwood members without a ticket to the season decider which takes place at the MCG this Saturday.
SEN’s Tom Morris provided some further detail on what has occurred with the Magpies members who were unfortunate not to be given a ticket for the big dance.
“This Ticketek situation is, at first glance, a nightmare,” Morris said on SEN Breakfast.
“The 37 Priority 1 Collingwood members who ticked the right box will get their tickets. They’ll get them today, they just haven’t come through.
“They’ve got to go to Collingwood members, AFL members, Brisbane members. So if you’re one of the 37 Priority 1 Collingwood members that has had money deducted from your account but you haven’t yet received it, you will today.
“The issue for a lot of people if they’re a Priority 1 or a Priority 2 member, and they have a ticket, it’s a worse seat than Priority 3, but it’s a ballot and it’s randomised. That was very clearly communicated to Collingwood members before the prelim final.
“In this email sent to Collingwood members: ‘Tickets will be allocated via a ballot on the next best available basis and therefore members can receive ether Category 1 to 7 reserve seats, restricted view seats or standing room ticket. Priority 1 members must select that they will accept a standing room ticket to maintain guaranteed access to purchase a ticket’.
“So if you are guaranteed a ticket you’ll get a seat or a standing room spot at the Grand Final. This does happen most years to some degree, but it’s amplified this year because Collingwood is in the Grand Final and they’ve got so many people involved.”
Ticketek provided an email on the latest regarding Grand Final tickets.
“Ticketek wants to assure all Collingwood members that the Ballot process for the AFL Grand Final ran as planned, without any issues, and as per the instruction from the AFL, Collingwood Football Club and the MCG,” read a statement.
“The Ballot results will be published at 9am (AEST) Monday 25 September.”
And here is further information on background:
- Members are allocated seat locations and categories randomly through the ballot process based on their Priority Group (1 being highest, 2 second and 3 being lowest).
- These priority groups have been built-out per Collingwood’s direction and only Priority Group 1 are guaranteed Grand Final tickets by the club.
- Members who selected ‘no standing room’ in their registration process will miss out on a ticket if they were allocated standing room.
- The Priority 1 Collingwood members who did not get a ticket (for selecting no standing room can contact the club’s membership department).
- Members who are successful in the ballot will have had their credit card charged yesterday, with confirmation of tickets shared on Monday morning.
- Members who were allocated a ticket in the ballot but inputted incorrect credit card details or have insufficient funds on their cards, will be contacted over coming days to update.
Tickets are already very hard to come by with many club members already missing out.
It promises to be a hectic week on the ticket chasing front as Magpies and Lions fans do battle before the real stuff even begins.
On Sunday evening, Ticketek had said everything from their point of view had been delivered as instructed by the AFL, the MCG and Collingwood.
Ticketek wants to assure all Collingwood members that the Ballot process for the AFL Grand Final ran as planned and as per the instruction from the AFL, Collingwood Football Club and the @MCG without issue.
— Ticketek Australia (@Ticketek_AU) September 24, 2023
The Ballot results will be published at 9am (AEST) Monday 25…